


This Most Assuredly Counts

by IWillBeTheEndofYou



Series: The Domestic Lives Of Figure Skaters [11]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Ice Skating, M/M, Victor is a good dad, Working Hard, Yuri Plisetsky Needs a Hug, Yuri doesn't always know what's good for him, Yuri has too many thoughts in his head, and that can get pretty heavy, boo-boo knees, falls - Freeform, feet on the coffee table, injuries, piggy back rides!!, the podium family, you cannot convince me otherwise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-17 09:29:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28722888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IWillBeTheEndofYou/pseuds/IWillBeTheEndofYou
Summary: Yuri nearly gives himself an injury. He and Victor have a discussion about expectations.
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov
Series: The Domestic Lives Of Figure Skaters [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2046686
Comments: 23
Kudos: 170





	This Most Assuredly Counts

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PorcelanaRota](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PorcelanaRota/gifts).



One of Victor's favorite things about Yura was how intense he was. That intensity, that determination that just came off of Yuri in waves. It was one of the things that made him fall in love with the kid, even when he was a little boy who was glaring at Yakov while he was being told to quit trying to do complicated jumps. That kid looked like he would have bitten Yakov's fingers off, even as they were shaking at him.

Victor wasn't sure how anyone could ever not adore him. He wasn't sure even when he was a younger man, and Yuri was a little boy. How could anyone see that golden hair, those big eyes and the pain that lived there and not want to take care of him? He was so feisty, he was so confident. He was ready to take the world by storm, if someone didn't watch him and make sure he didn't try to fly too close to the sun. How could anyone turn their back on him? The thought was baffling, and knowing the things that he had gone through made him so angry.

He was pretty sure that intensity was a natural state to Yuri. Some people in his situation would have taken their pain and wrapped it around them to wear like a cloak. Some might have taken that pain and turned it into guilt, and carry that guilt like a backpack of bricks, slogging through life as it wore them down. And then there were others, like Yuri, who translated it into anger.

And that anger was so intense, you could almost taste it around him. Victor had to admit that the anger could be worn like a cloak though, almost like an invisibility cloak. It kept people from seeing who he really was, it kept people from peering too closely at him.

When he had first come to stay with Victor and Yuuri, the air around him crackled. They had walked on eggshells, afraid of setting him off while they were trying to feel each other out.

Of course it was Yuuri, his Yuuri, he broke the ice. Of course it was his love who dove into it head first, regardless of the dangerous that could be coming. He shouldn't have been surprised. These were the things that Yuuri would do for the people that he loved. 

And he loved Yura. He'd fallen in love with that child when he saw him skate Agape, when the sheer honesty and pain that Yura felt was translated to the ice. And he'd fallen for him even harder when he'd needed to move in after Nikolai just couldn't do it anymore.

They were rather similar like that, his boys. Once they knew what they wanted, they weren't going to stop until they got it. Whether that meant chasing a mentor to another country or staying up all night to learn to move like the opposite gender. He hummed thoughtfully, watching Yuri as he over corrected on a turn and came down hard on his knees. He growled, pounded the ice with his fists.

Victor felt the urge to rush out to him, help him up, check his knees. He flinched, but gripped the railings of the rink, forcing himself to wait. Sure enough, Yuri pulled himself back up, set his teeth, and began to skate the turn again.

But he couldn't seem to work past the over correction. He crashed down onto his knees again and again. Victor winced, knowing that they had to be bruising and it was hurting to fall like that. He sighed, nodded at a few of his other students as they left the rink.

Of course he ward was staying there, he thought. Of course that child would have to be dragged back. He was hoping that Yuri would realize it himself. With every fall, he'd grit his teeth more. After the fourth fall, he screamed, pounding his fists against the ice.

He's had enough, Victor thought. He's going to hurt himself. He was next to him in just a second, gliding smoothly. He knelt down, reached under the kid's arms and pulled him up. His hands were gentle, but firm. He wasn't going to leave room for an argument.

“That's plenty, Yura,” he murmured, skating them towards the exit.

“No! I've almost got it.” he struggled against him. His teeth were still set, and he had that dark look in his eyes.

“You'll skate yourself into an injury.” Victor scolded softly. “The rink will be here tomorrow, and you will be fresh and new.”

“I can do it. Let go of me, old man.” but the words lacked their normal venom, and he could feel the fatigue in the shoulders he was pushing. He's tired, Victor thought. I let him go too long. I should have called him in much sooner than this. Yuri snarled, but let himself be sat down on a bench. Victor undid his own skates and then knelt to help his ward.  
“I can do it!”

“And yet, you have been sitting there silently and still.” Victor flashed him a heart shaped smile. Yuri only scowled and let himself be placed back into his sneakers.  
“Let's go home. I'm afraid Yuuri took the car, so we'll have to walk.”

“It doesn't matter.” he shrugged. He sure wasn't going to let Victor know that he was hurting. Especially not where other people might be able to see.

But as they walked, he noticed that his ward looked uncomfortable. Wordlessly, he knelt down, offering his back to the kid. He half expected him to shove past him and mumble how weird Victor was. Instead, he clambered nimbly up. It was a testament to how much he must really be stinging, or just exhausted.

He was light for his age, the older Russian thought as he adjusted himself. He tried to avoid touching his knees, afraid that they would be tender and sore, but it was the best way to keep him on. Thank goodness they could leave most of their gear in Victor's office and didn't have to schlep that back and forth, or he'd never get them home. The walk was quick enough though, and he carefully let Yuri sit on the couch.

“Do they hurt?”

“I just slammed the hell out of them repeatedly. Yes, it hurts.” an eye roll.

“Go and change into some shorts and we'll have a look at them.”

Victor went to change himself and gather up some ice packs, ACE wraps, and ibuprofen. When he got back, Yura was sitting on the couch, arms crossed over his chest. His pale skin was beginning to bloom dark bruises across his knees. Victor knelt down to examine them.

“Why do you push yourself like that?” he sighed. “You don't have to conquer the whole world, you know?”

“I do, though.”

“You don't. You're young.” he carefully placed the ice packs and then pulled the coffee table up for his feet. “Don't tell Yuuri.”

“It doesn't matter that I'm young. You were young and you already did so much more than me.”

“Yura,” he sat back on his heels, looking at his ward. “It doesn't matter.”

“It does!” he insisted, his cheeks going pink. “You're a legend, a god. And if I'm your protege, then I can't just do as well as you did. I have to do better than you. I have to do more than you.”

“Who told you that, malyutka?”

“Uh, everyone? The fan forums. The people at the rink. Just—that's the truth, Victor.”

“It is not the truth.” he stood up and came to sit next to Yuri, turning his face to his.

“If you never skated one more time in your life, it would not make me love you any less. You understand that, don't you?” his voice was soft.  
“I know that Yuuri is better at these things. I haven't told you enough how important you are. I didn't love you because of your potential. That is one of the many wonderful things about you, and it is admirable. But it isn't the only thing about you, or the best thing about you.”

“I have to surpass the expectations.”

“Whose expectations? What expectations? Those so called experts?” Victor snorted. “You should know I've made a career on keeping them on their toes. They don't know nearly as much as they want you to think they do. Yura, all this pressure isn't good for you.”

“Now you sound like Katsudon.” he mumbled.

“Well, Katsudon knows what he's talking about. Malyutka, you are your own worst critic. And so am I. And so is Yuuri.” he sighed. “So I guess you come by it honestly.” he draped an arm around Yuri, pulled him in tight to his side.  
“What was it Otabek said about you? You have the eyes of a soldier?”

“Something like that,” he was blushing.

“You have had those eyes since you were a child. And as you have grown, those eyes have grown stronger. But they haven't grown colder. Since you've come here, they've gotten warmer. You've started to trust people more, let us in. And I cannot tell you how much that means to his.” he bent his head, let his cheek rest on the top of Yuri's head.

“I just—I want to make you proud. I want to make sure you don't regret having me be here.”

“I could never.” he shook his head. “Neither could Yuuri. There are times that we're all frustrated, and times that we're all confused. We've never been parents before. But you've been patient with us. And we love having you, Yuri. We love you. I just can't stand to watch you hurt yourself like that.” he gestured to the bruised knees.  
“And I know that you are always going to push yourself. You're so intense, you're going to get what it is that you want. And that is a fantastic trait! But I don't want you to get hurt. There comes a time when you're not learning, and you're just harming. You need to learn to walk that line.”

“Everyone compares me to you.”

“I'm afraid that can't be helped. There are a lot of similarities.” he chuckled. “But you're still you're own person, love. I don't want you to ever forget that. If you win a thousand gold medals, we'll be thrilled. If you quit skating and take up rock collecting, we'll be thrilled. We just want you to be happy, Yura.”

“Even though I'm not really your kid?”

“Who told you that?” Victor frowned.

“I... literally had biological parents? No one had to tell me. It wasn't what you'd call a secret.”

“Is biology the only thing that makes parents? Is that the only thing that makes a family? You couldn't be mine any more than you already are, malyutka.”

Yuri hummed, still looking down at his knees. He let himself lean into Victor just a little bit. It maybe wasn't quite the same as a cuddle from Yuuri, but it was still nice. He sighed, letting his body relax just a little bit.

His eyes drifted shut. It was nice to just rest with his legs up. His knees did hurt. And Victor was so warm. It was interesting that Yuuri radiated comfort and love, while Victor could radiate safety and love. He sighed softly. Sometimes he wanted the comfort, but there were times he wanted the safety. 

He wasn't aware of the door opening and closing. He felt the rumble of Victor's chest as he spoke to Katsudon, though he wasn't quite able to open his eyes. He felt another pair of hands gently taking the packs off his knees, feeling them. His legs were taken down off the coffee table, and he whined slightly.

“Hush,” Katusdon, soft and low. His legs were pulled up on the couch, so he was laying propped up on Victor's side.  
“Rest until supper.”

He just burrowed back into his guardian, grumpy like a kitten woken too soon from their nap. A hand was in his hair, stroking away the tension built up in his forehead. He felt himself going limp, sleep coming to take him under.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I am LOVING all the prompts! Keep 'em coming! I'm so sorry I can only do one a day. I'm on the computer ALL DAY for work, and I'm starting to have vision complaints, so I can only manage one fic because I need to rest. But! Please! If you have a prompt, drop it to me!


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